Dogstalker Bock
Grand River Brewing

Dogstalker BockDogstalker Bock
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From:
Grand River Brewing
 
Ontario, Canada
Style:
Bock
ABV:
6%
Score:
80
Avg:
3.34 | pDev: 11.98%
Reviews:
7
Ratings:
19
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Mar 27, 2016
Added:
Apr 24, 2014
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  2
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by CurtisD:
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Rated by CurtisD from Canada (NB)

3.24/5  rDev -3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

Sep 04, 2015
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.99 by DaPan from Canada (ON)

Mar 27, 2016
Photo of Jadjunk
Reviewed by Jadjunk from Georgia

3.49/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
No label information. Dog Stalker Bock is brewed in the style of a Bock Beer, available in 500 ml. bottles and on rotating draft.

Poured from a 500 ml. bottle to a snifter glass.

(Appearance) Pours a frothy, creamy head of a beige-white color over a moderately hazy golden amber body with ample, lively carbonation. Retention is below average and there is no lacing. 3.25

(Smell) Mildly presented malt aroma, soft, clean bread malts with a moderate sweetness and a very fruity yeast profile, juicy and softly sweet. Mild hop notes of earthy and grassy bitterness compliment, but do not come close to countering the malt profile. 3.5

(Taste) The flavor largely follows the aroma. Very fruity flavor from the first sip, following through all the way to the finish with a trailing, very light malt body, incredibly modest, bordering on shallow for a bock style. Clean and easy drinking, a bit dry on the finish with an enhanced fruit juice note. Very peculiar for a Bock, not nearly by the book but interesting in its own right. 3.5

(Mouthfeel) Texture is slick, smooth, silky, clean, moderately dry. Carbonation is mild, generating a medium frothiness and a lightly crisp finish. Body is light/medium for the style, shy of medium overall. Balance is slightly residual sweet over bitter. Alcohol presence is low and there are no off characters. 3.5

(Overall) A very unusual beer. I would be hard pressed to categorize this as a bock, as the malt body doesn't contribute much to defining the style, and this beer is fairly accessible and led more by an unusual fruit juice medley which dominates the flavor from the beginning to the end. It's not bad nor unwelcome, but certainly difficult to classify, and likely to disappoint for anybody in search of a good, traditional quality bock. This just isn't it. 3.5

Grand River Brewing's
Dog Stalker Bock
3.49/5.00
Feb 11, 2016
 
Rated: 3.2 by JahTurbo from Canada (ON)

Jul 10, 2015
Photo of TerryW
Reviewed by TerryW from Canada (ON)

3/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Thin and bland. You're hard pressed to recognize this as a 6% brew. Saddest of all is that the best thing about this beer is that the bottle finally carries some proper label art as opposed to the previous couple of incarnations (nope, that pic ain't it). Dull beer and sorry to say it, but Grand River is a consistent underachiever.
Jun 09, 2015
 
Rated: 3.5 by Pmicdee from Canada (ON)

Apr 14, 2015
 
Rated: 3.04 by KevinSP from Canada (ON)

Mar 26, 2015
 
Rated: 3.67 by mick303 from Canada (ON)

Mar 09, 2015
 
Rated: 3.5 by WillAndSarah from Canada (ON)

Sep 01, 2014
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Reviewed by taxandbeerguy from Canada (ON)

3.58/5  rDev +7.2%
500 ml bottle split two ways. Served cold into glassware. About $4.50 CDN for the bottle. 400th full review too.

Appearance - Hazy, honey brown color, capped by a small amount of white head. Some lacing and minimal bubbles.

Smell - Orchard fruits, pears, plums and maybe some peach. Nice and fruity.

Taste - Has fruity elements like the nose, but the taste is significantly more bitter (but not too bitter) and the fruit is less prevalent.

Mouthfeel - Smooth, low carbonation, light booziness. Medium-heavy body. Probably a beer better served on a colder day.

Overall - Pretty decent bock, especially for those enjoying a big fruit presence.
Aug 31, 2014
 
Rated: 2 by Cramshawbar from Canada (ON)

Jul 26, 2014
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Reviewed by thehyperduck from Canada (ON)

3.47/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.75
500 mL bottle picked up at the LCBO; bottled April 29 2014. Served well chilled.

Pours a foggy copper-amber colour, generating a half-finger of soapy froth that quickly wilts into a spotty film and collar. No lacing. The aroma definitely leans on the malt bill, as it should - butterscotch and honey, grainy malts and a bit of doughy sweetness come through, with a touch of spice. It gets even nicer as it warms.

A strange bock, but on the whole it's still tasty. Lots of doughy sweetness, some honey and butterscotch as indicated on the nose, with some golden raisin, dates and mild cinnamon spice at the finish. Kind of thin-bodied, with low carbonation for the style and a relatively flat mouthfeel that I am not a big fan of. One thing I will give this lager credit for is its supreme drinkability. It's 6%, but the alcohol is nowhere to be seen so it actually drinks more like a light beer with flavour.

Final Grade: 3.47, a B-. It took me more than a few sips to decide whether or not I liked Dogstalker Bock. I sort of do, but in the end it's not an especially well-made example of the style, and the limp mouthfeel really isn't doing it any favours. There are better German-imported bocks available for less money, but if you're just in the mood for a palatable strong lager and want to try something different, then this is a solid option. Maybe I'll try it again next year to see if this particular bottle was just a little off, but for now, the rest of this glass will serve as an acceptable celebration for my 700th tick.
Jun 24, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by ToddMopps from Canada (ON)

Jun 15, 2014
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Reviewed by neenerzig from Ohio

3.38/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
Purchased a 500 ml bottle of this from an LCBO store in Stratford Canada last weekend when the wife and I took a trip up to Canada. Poured into one of my pilsner glasses. this beer pours a fairly cloudy, medium amber/copper color with a fluffy off white head that is about an inch thick when poured. Head eventually settles to a thin white lining the inside of the glass. Not much lacing here. Aromas of sweet caramel malt, a hint of honey, and a hint of spices. Flavorwise it has a sweet caramel malt sweetness upfront followed by a hint of honey and spice and is rounded out with a slight touch of hops. Sort of a strange flavor profile for a bock with the honey and the spice. Has a crisp, prickly, yet smooth medium bodied mouthfeel with moderate carbonation. An okay beer overall but certainly nothing special.

Eric
Jun 04, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by Molson2000 from Canada (ON)

May 19, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by dwxr from Canada (ON)

May 09, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by bigox420 from Canada (ON)

May 08, 2014
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Reviewed by polloenfuego from Canada (NB)

3.52/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
From a 500 ml bottle. Bottled on April 10, 2014.

This beer pours a nice toasted gold color...not brown, not gold. There was a two finger head, which disappeared rather quickly and left almost nothing behind, except a few wisps of foam. The smell was sweet barley malts, honey and some light spices. The taste was a bit sweet with the malts being very forward. Otherwise a little bland. There was decent carbonation, but the feel was thin and lacking body.
Apr 27, 2014
Photo of DaveBar
Reviewed by DaveBar from Canada (ON)

3.67/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Purchased at the LCBO for around $3.95 for a 500ml bottle. Served at 6deg C in a draught glass

A- Not bad. Nice amber color with a good head

S- Sweet. Sickly

T- Light. Not the flavor bomb I was expecting from the color and smell

M- Pretty good. Nice and light although this is a strong beer.

O- Pretty good. Would like to try on tap.

Food Pairing

This nice "light" beer paired well with... tacos!

Enjoy
Apr 24, 2014
Dogstalker Bock from Grand River Brewing
Beer rating: 80 out of 100 with 19 ratings